The sexual relationship of male alcoholics and their female partners during periods of drinking and abstinence.

The quality of the sexual relationship between alcoholic male veterans admitted to an alcohol treatment program and their stable nonalcoholic female partners was assessed in relation to time intervals of abstinence and drinking. Repeated measures analyses performed on the LoPiccolo Sexual History Form provided information on sexual problems associated with the desire, arousal and orgasm phases of the sexual response cycle and other kinds of information relevant to sexual functioning. Results indicate that the sexual relationship varies in relation to drinking or abstinence. Sexual intimacy appears quite normal and satisfactory during abstinent periods; however, female partners present an internally consistent picture of neither desiring nor enjoying sex during drinking periods, though accepting sex reluctantly. For male alcoholics, satisfaction with sex while drinking continues to be reported despite awareness of their partner's negative emotional reactions during sex. Clinicians and researchers are cautioned to differentiate drinking and abstinent periods when assessing the sexual relationship of alcoholic couples.

Family functioning of male alcoholics and their female partners during periods of drinking and abstinence.

Family functioning of 20 alcoholic male veterans and their female partners was assessed in relation to drinking (wet) and abstinent (dry) intervals. Repeated measures analyses performed on the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD) indicated that on all 7 scales of the FAD, alcoholics and their mates perceived family functioning to be better during dry than wet periods. In contrast to their alcoholic mates, female partners gave healthier ratings to all FAD scales except Roles in the dry condition and Affective Involvement in the wet condition. According to published cutoff scores for healthy and unhealthy family functioning, alcoholics as a group viewed their wet and dry family functioning as unhealthy, although the female group regarded the family's dry Problem Solving and Behavioral Control as healthy. These findings suggest that the family functioning of alcohol-involved couples is biphasic, oscillating between drinking and abstinent periods.